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WRC 9
WRC 9 is the leading off-road simulation franchise endorsed by the world's top drivers. It is the most in-depth rally game on the market: 3 new rallies (Kenya, Japan, New Zealand), over 15 classic cars and 100 special stages to tackle! WRC 9 has new game modes specially designed for the community, including a Clubs system where each player can cre...
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WRC 9 Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
Though the breadth of the upgrades that the PS5 brings to WRC 9 is expected and somewhat unambitious to an extent, the truth is that developer Kylotonn has provided a delectable coat of polish to what is already considered to be one of the finest rally games in years. If you've got a PS5 and you want a rally racing sim to cut your teeth on, they don't come any better than WRC 9.
Last year’s WRC 8 introduced us to a whole new career mode, and officially put the Dirt series on notice. One year later, developer Kylotonn is back with WRC 9. Featuring new courses, crew options, and a few more tweaks, is there enough new here to warrant a purchase? Find out in our WRC 9 review.
Almost perfect if not for the nitty-gritty. If it’s quite there but not enough to push the boundaries, it’s still an awesome game.
WRC 9 is a beautiful game that will speak to the enthusiast. There are a plethora of modes, and the career offering is packed with plenty of ways to customize your experience. The only issue I have is I don’t see myself returning to it often because of its esoteric nature. I’m not the target audience, and while that’s okay, new players may feel a bit excluded.
WRC 9 is the latest in the long run of official World Rally Championship games. Developed by Kylotonn, the French studio that has been behind the series since 2015's WRC 5, it takes the player through all the action of the World Rally Championship, complete with all the teams across various rallying categories down to Junior-WRC. It gained a strong reputation and impressive reviews upon its initial release in September, but there was always hope for a major upgrade with the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions.
We clearly had the big leap last year, as WRC 9 only shows minor improvements overall. It still suffers from a lacklustre multiplayer experience, but for those wishing to take cars and drive at speeds that defy all sense around roads ill-designed to be driven that fast, WRC 9 is the game to do it with.
Despite some technical issues, WRC 9 delivers on its core mechanics, offering a deep and rewarding off-road racing game.
KT Racing have improved leaps and bounds over the previous four years. This is something I made clear in my review of WRC 8, released last year. Around a month ago I was also able to get hands-on with WRC 9, previewing the game, getting a first look at the changes made to push this new iteration forward. The quality was certainly there, though there were a few little issues that kept niggling away.
For the fans of the official rally championship tournament, WRC 9 is likely a must-play title as it doesn’t have anything bad enough to keep you from buying it. But for newcomers, I have to admit that you need to have some grit if you want to play the WRC series for the first time. It really requires a very high level of concentration while playing. If you are not in the mood for this style of play, you may want to just skip WRC 9.
It boils down to this: if you have any other format on which WRC 9 is available, you’re better off getting it on that rather than Switch. If Switch is your format of choice and you really love rally games, however, then it’s well worth picking up, even if you already have WRC 8. The handling is a little bit better, the three new rallies are great, and while there’s still no online multiplayer, the Clubs system at least lets you engage in healthy competition with others. WRC 9 on Switch is still a compromised experience, but it’s the best that’s available for now.
The Big Daddy of rally games is packing an even bigger punch this year. WRC 9 returns with a stellar package, promising to give both, amateurs and seasoned drivers, a thorough challenge. But how difficult is it to master? The answer swings both way and it's time to find out how in our WRC 9 Review.
We had a chance to play WRC 9. Here’s our thoughts on it.